Poll says Goolsby's state Senate seat vulnerable

Saturday

Oct 5, 2013 at 12:00 PM

Goolsby dismissed the results, pointing to a New Republic article regarding "questionable methodologies."

By Molly Parker Molly.Parker@StarNewsOnline.com

A new poll by liberal-leaning Public Policy Polling about state Senate seats that Democrats may pick up in next year's election says Sen. Thom Goolsby is the most vulnerable Republican among his colleagues. According to the polling agency, the "political landscape has shifted in such a way that Democrats have a lot more opportunities" in eight key districts "to eat into the Republican majority next year than could have been imagined even six months ago." In a news release, the agency goes on to say that Goolsby, R-New Hanover, is "unusually well known for a state senator and also unusually disliked." "As a result he trails a general Democratic opponent by 12 points," it reads. Goolsby dismissed the results, pointing to a New Republic article regarding the agency's "questionable methodologies." "Are you talking about the discredited Public Policy Polling poll from a few weeks ago that targeted only GOP lawmakers?" Goolsby responded via text message. "The same liberal pollster has been wrong on all of my campaigns." The poll was released Sept. 25. It also lists as vulnerable the following Republican senators: Wesley Meredith, R-Cumberland; Bill Cook, R-Beaufort; Ronald Rabin, R-Harnett; Neal Hunt, R-Wake; Tamara Barringer, R-Wake; Chad Barefoot, R-Franklin; and Jim Davis, R-Macon.The pollster says three things have led to an increased vulnerability of Republican senators: the unpopularity of the Republican legislature itself; the swift decline in Gov. Pat McCrory's approval numbers even in districts that he won overwhelmingly last year; and the incumbent Republican state senators in these districts being unknown or unpopular – "none of them have established credibility with their constituents." "Based on our polling we find two districts where Democrats have a clear advantage for next year, and another six that can be classified as toss-ups based on what we're seeing right now," the pollster's release reads. Goolsby is classified in the "clear advantage" for Democrats category. A group of Wilmington residents that has been regularly protesting, initially outside Goolsby's office, took partial credit for his claimed vulnerability. Women Organizing for Wilmington, or WOW, is described as a grassroots organization of pro-women's rights New Hanover County citizens. The organization is in its 14th week of weekly protests outside Goolsy's office. "I believe we have had an impact on that (his poll numbers) and we're going to continue to have one," said WOW representative Lynn Shoemaker. Shoemaker said that when the protests first started more than three months ago, the organization had about 100 members. Membership has grown to more than 600 since then, she said. "Many of these women are involved in nonprofit organizations and community outreach programs, and these women are talking to their friends, who are talking to their friends," she said. In a news release, WOW says it is protesting what it considers to be Goolsby's "extreme agenda" citing among examples his support for legislation that the organization said restricted women's health care. The organization is referring to a new law that establishes greater oversight and restrictions on abortion clinics that supporters say were necessary to protect women's safety. The time of Monday's protest on Walnut Street has been shifted to 4-6 p.m., according to a news release from the group.